Endorsed by Legends

I took over as secretary and accountant of 7 Cellars Limited from the original director of the group, Mack Butts of Butts Bainbridge and Weir. I witnessed the dedication and passion expressed by the pioneers in their brandy experiment. These men believed in the industry’s potential to produce quality comparable to the best in the world. The New Zealand wine industry has made giant strides since the 1960s, however the vision and grit of the original seven pioneers in producing the 1962 – 7 Cellars Brandy must rank as one of the single most significant episodes of the industry. At sixty years old, 7 Cellars Brandy is a precious relic of a bygone era. A true collectible today, it will undoubtedly increase in value as bottles of the precious elixir diminish.

The New Zealand wine industry owes a lot to our great colourful pioneers of the fortified wine era who also envisaged great potential for table wines yet to come. At the time the market was orientated to fortifying spirit for their ports and sherries until it was suggested why can’t we produce a world class brandy. A brandy that could equal the best cognacs from France. The seven pioneering winemakers then built a delightful cognac still (the year of my first vintage).

Over the next 60 years New Zealand became world renowned and global markets were soon seduced by a range of wine varietals coming from a country that hitherto had been more renowned for butter, meat and wool. Recently 60 years later, I tasted the 1962 – 7 Cellars Brandy and was delighted and amazed by the concentration, richness and absolute standout quality and smoothness. Even trying half a teaspoon was an amazing taste experience!. 7 Cellars Brandy is a gastronomic delight! I would recommend that any wine cellar should have at least a bottle of this unique 60-year-old famous brandy, now added to our great New Zealand story.

“Missionary Samuel Marsden planted the first grapevine in New Zealand at Keri Keri, in Northland, in September 1819 saying: “New Zealand promises to be very favourable to the vine as far as I can judge at present, of the nature of the soil and climate. Should the vine succeed, it will prove of vast importance in this part of the globe.” How true a statement! More than 200 years later, the New Zealand wine industry stands amongst the best in the world.

In 1962 a group of seven visionary pioneering winemakers got tother and asked the Government of the day to grant them an experimental licence to produce brandy. Their intention was to produce the best brandy in the world and they succeeded.

Unknown to the world for 60 years, this significant piece of New Zealand wine history is about to be offered to collectors and lovers of fine rare brandies worldwide, who are astute enough to secure a bottle. Remember this is the only brandy ever distilled commercially in New Zealand. This would make a great gift for that special person. Not only that but as an investment the value will increase significantly as bottles available diminish. You may wish to bequeath this splendid relic of the New Zealand wine industry to a future generation. The 7 Cellars story is a tremendous piece of New Zealand wine history. Be part of it. You won’t regret it!

When I grew up in West Auckland in the 1980s, I always knew of Nobilo’s. Every so often I drove past their building, and I knew they were a fine family, as my dad would say, and part of the proud tradition of Dalmatians who brought winemaking skills here from Croatia and pioneered them in our land.

Today I’m also well aware of another amazing slice of our wine and beverages history that Nobilo is at the heart of. The  1962-7 Cellars Brandy is still today the only commercial brandy ever produced in New Zealand. What’s more, the aim wasn’t simply to make an ok one; no, it was to produce the best in the world.

Remarkably, they succeeded. When samples were sent to France it was agreed. The brandy was and is the equivalent of the finest cognacs.

What a special collectable this 1962-7 Cellar Brandy is. Congratulations to those industry pioneers, and the foresight of Nobilo’s, on their achievement and on being part of the foundations of our hugely successful wine industry of today.

The 1962 – 7 Cellars Brandy is an important part of the New Zealand wine history and the only brandy ever distilled commercially in New Zealand. Recently I tasted this precious spirit and was surprised and impressed with the quality. The brandy is as good as the best French Cognac and Armagnac. First the colour has a beautiful golden yellow hue that comes from aging many years in French Limousin oak barrels. The bouquet is a potpourris of macerated fruits including peach, prunes and figs with underlying Mirabelle plum notes. As you sniff more, delicate notes of rose petals, honey, beeswax and cinnamon come through. The bouquet becomes very much alive as the brandy mixes with the air. The taste is magnificent. Mouth feel is soft and round with flavours of orange peel, ginger and coffee coming through together with cigar box and muscat grapes. This is a unique spirit mixing the aromatic richness of the most notorious quality Cognacs and the power of great Armagnacs. This brandy will not be embarrassed by any other brandies and ranks up there with the greatest eaux de vies of the world. Congratulations to those New Zealand winemaking pioneers who created this magnificent brandy equal to the best in the world.

Le “1962 – 7 cellars Brandy” est une part importante de l’Histoire du vin en Nouvelle Zélande: C’est le seul Brandy a avoir été distillé et commercialisé en Nouvelle Zélande.
Récemment, j’ai eu la chance de déguster cet alcool précieux : surpris, je dirais plutôt impressionné par sa qualité intrinsèque. Ce brandy est clairement aussi bon que n’importe quel Cognacs ou Armagnacs.

Quelques mots plus descriptifs : Une robe jaune or resplendissante, (long vieillissement en Fût de chêne du limousin). Au nez, c’est un pot pourri de fruit macérés à l’eau de vie : pêches, prunes, figues avec une pointe de mirabelle. Après quelques instant, un deuxième nez plus subtil nous amène des notes delicates de pétales de rose, miel, cire d’abeille ou encore cannelle.

Avec le temps, il s’ouvre et devient de plus en plus vivant ! En bouche, juste splendide : une texture ronde et gourmande libérant des notes d’écorces d’orange; gingembre, et café, contenu dans une boite à cigare.
Cet alcool unique en son genre arrive à combiner des arômes et styles des plus grands Cognacs et Armagnacs.

En Conclusion, une affirmation : c’est un Brandy qui a une place tout à fait légitime parmi les plus belles eaux de vie du monde.

Bravo et mes sincères felicitations à ces pionniers qui ont réussi à créer ce Brandy unique en son genre.

“I felt privileged to be able to taste the precious 1962 – 7 Cellars Brandy produced by a group of dedicated pioneers of the New Zealand wine industry long before I was born.  Having worked in prestigious wineries around the world it made me proud to be a New Zealander and realise where this wonderful industry of ours has come from. First of all while this brandy expresses a French heritage in style that true New Zealand fruitiness that clearly shows in our wines also shines through this brandy. The exuberance of fruit coupled with the long barrel aging influence gives the impression of extremely high quality brandy to the taster. Those floral aromatics and citrus undertones of orange blossom, orange peel and roasted rosehip together with the  integration of oak gives the brandy such a presence.

There is a lot of potential for producing high quality brandies in New Zealand as has been revealed in this brandy tasting.  You should really try this one as variety is the spice of life and you should want to have things from all over the world. Never limit yourself!”

“My background is French so I was enthusiastic about tasting a New Zealand distilled brandy for the first time. I didn’t know one even existed. I didn’t know what to expect. Of course I am very familiar with New Zealand wines and their strength of fruitiness on the palate. New Zealand wines are recognised as quality wines everywhere they are sold throughout the world.

On tasting the 1962 – 7 Cellars Brandy for the first time I was surprised by the intensity of the fruit and lovely aromatic character. The alcohol is very round and smooth and does not dominate even though the strength is 46%. This shows the spirit has been aged for a long time in oak allowing it to mellow. I detected a slight caramelised candy taste which comes from the long oak aging combining with the fruitiness of the brandy. This gives a pleasant touch of sweetness on the palate. Yes, this is a very high quality spirit and distillation indeed comparable to the best of France. I didn’t expect anything of this high quality. Very surprised!

“The 7 Cellars Brandy project is the result of the fruitful collaboration between several of New Zealand’s pioneering winemaking families. With the modern New Zealand wine industry producing world class light wines from the likes of Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and a small selection of other varietals, it’s easy to lose sight of the wider Kiwi oenological history that involved so much trial and error and pioneering experimentation.”

“Custodian of the 7 Cellars Brandy, Nick Nobilo is himself a key part of that history: a bridge between the 19th Century establishment of New Zealand wine production and the remarkable creation of this 1962 Brandy, right through to the huge strides in viticulture and wine production that has made New Zealand what it is today. Nobilo has lovingly preserved this unique part of Kiwi wine history, a brandy that might simply have been lost to the world when spirits production based on wine failed to materialize commercially.”

“Instead of evaporating into thin air – like the angels’ share – 7 Cellars represents the distillation not only of a piece of New Zealand history but also the living spirit of a wine-related vision that testifies to just how determined Kiwi winemakers have been to achieve their dreams.”

这款白兰地是一款展现了新西兰葡萄种植历史的美酒， 并且也充分体现了建立新西兰葡萄酒产业的社区精神。漫长的陈酿为这款白兰地带来了极其丰富的香气，富有坚果、甜美的焦糖以及果脯的层次感。数十年的陈酿也使这款白兰地在口感上极其柔滑，并提供了持久复杂的余味。光滑圆润的口感深入人心，既是在品鉴美酒，也是在品鉴历史和文化。